Vertical bag sleever



Oct. 18, 1966 o. H. PEARSON VERTICAL BAG SLEEVER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1964 a 5 mm m a 1 w .n r a a r T Q 0 Y B 1 w )[2 5 WJIV 4,. L N K. as???,i:5i.. 7 w z 3 6 ATTORNEY 1966 o. H. PEARSON VERTICAL BAG SLEEVER,

Filed Sept. 28, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 64 I5 63 3.5 V/AW/l/l/l/l/I/IV/ v INVENTOR.

0770 H. PEAPSQ/V A TTORA/EY 0. H. PEARSON VERTICAL BAG SLEEVER Oct. 18, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 28, 1964 n N M m E T V A E A P W H Off 5 W W a a m United States Patent M 3,279,662 VERTICAL BAG SLEEVER Otto H. Pearson, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignor to McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,726 7 Claims. (Cl. 223-73) This invention relates to a machine for pressing the sleeves of shirts and similar garments, and has for an object to accomplish the pressing operation of the sleeves by hot air or steam from the inside while the plackets, which extend from the sleeve cuffs, are held clamped against a heated platen and are pressed fiat thereagainst.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vertical bag sleever, as above characterized, that, in addition to the usual clamping of the cuifs, clamps the plackets of both sleeves, as characterized, by means disposed rearward of the sleeve bucks and moved from said position to a forward position between the sleeve bucks preparatory to being extended to clamp the sleeve plackets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag sleever, as referred to, that automatically moves the placket-clamping means to clamped position as the forward position thereof is reached.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The above objects are realized in a machine construction that comprises a pair of fixed bucks in side-by-side relation, each provided with a placket-pressing portion that is heated by hot air or steam, fitted with an initially loose bag of air-pervious cloth or the like which is receptive of hot air or steam that presses a sleeve dressed thereon by forcing said air or steam through the interstices of the bag and through the material of the sleeve. The placket of each said sleeve is held in pressing position against a heated platen during pressing of the sleeves. An arm, which has a normally rearwardly retracted position, is provided with a placket-clamping head which, when the arm is moved forwardly, is disposed between the sleeve-dressed bucks, compressed air means being operated by the arm, as it reaches said forward position, to extend the clamping head into clamping engagement with the sleeve plackets.

Air-operated means causes the arm to swing between rearward and forward positions, a single controller being provided to do this and simultaneously supply air to expand the clamps, as well as to control flow of heated air or steam to the sleever bucks.

A master solenoid valve, controlled by a push-button switch or by a timer mechanism that controls said switch, when opened provides operating compressed air as above stated. The hot air or steam circuit is independent of the pressure air supply which controls operation of the flowcontrolling valve of said hot air or steam circuit.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, and which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illusstration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view, on a plane between the two bucks of the sleever, showing the sleeve-mounting means of the same.

3,279,662 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 ICC FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view as taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly broken, of the sleever.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary vertical sectional view as taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view as taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a combined side elevational and schematic view showing the operating and airand/ or steam-controlling means, the view being taken from the side opposite to that of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion showing one of the sleeve bucks with a shirt sleeve dressed thereon preparatory to pressing thereof.

The vertical bag sleever that is illustrated comprises, generally, a base support frame 10, two similar sleeve bucks 11 fixedly mounted on and extending vertically upwardly from the top of said frame, said bucks being disposed in transversely spaced side-by-side relation adjacent the front of the sleever, i.e., the right side of FIGS. 1 and 3, a swinging arm 12 mounted on the frame to move between a retracted position rearward of the bucks and a forward position, means 13 carried by the upper end of said arm 12 for clamping the plackets of sleeves that are dressed on the bucks to the bucks preparatory to pressing of the sleeves, a source of compressed air 14, a solenoid valve 15 to control flow of air from said source, generally conventional means 16 to control the valve 15, a drive cylinder 17 operated by air released by valve 15 and connected to the arm 12 to move the latter to projected position, an air valve 18 connected to receive air from the valve 15 and operated by the arm 12 during the final portion of its projecting movement to release said air to a conduit 19 that conducts compressed air to the means 13 to actuate the same to placket-clamping position, a hot air or steam supply, under blower pressure, that is represented in the drawing by a valve 20, which provides pressing fluid to the bucks 11, and means 21 connected to valve 20 to open the same, said means being connected to conduit 19 to be operated by compressed air flowing in said conduit.

The base frame 10 comprises corner support legs 25 that support a top frame 26 that is shown as of generally rectangular form. In practice, the sides of said frame are covered by panels 27. The forward portion of the frame top is covered by a tray 28 that has a forward upwardly bent flange 29 and a rearward flange 30 that extends substantially further upwardly than does flange 29. Said tray constitutes a support for the body of a shirt or similar garment, the sleeves of which are dressed on the bucks 11. The flanges 29 and 30 confine the shirt body to an area adjacent to the bucks 11 which, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, are located approximately centrally of the tray.

The sleeve bucks 11 are alike but are arranged to be in opposed relation so that the plackets P of sleeves S dressed thereon are on the insides facing each other. Each buck 11 comprises a vertical tube or pipe 31 that fixedly extends upwardly from a frame brace 32 beneath the tray 28, as best seen in FIG. 1. Said tube 31 receives air from the outlet of the valve 20, said air then passing through holes 33 in said tube which has a top closure plate 34.

On the upper end of tube 31, on the side thereof toward the other buck, is provided a convex platen 35 that is connected by a plate 36 to the tube 31. Said platen and plate define a steam chest 37 between them, said chest being closed at the bottom 'by a wall 38 and at the top by a plate 39 that extends over and is spaced from the top plate 34 of tube 31. Said platen 35 has a convex curvature suitable for forming a sleeve placket P so that the overlying slit-forming portions of said placket are in curved but otherwise fiat engagement when the cuff C of a sleeve dressed on the form is held in operative position as by a suitable clamp 39a which does not form a novel feature of this invention. Steam or hot air inlet and return lines 40 are connected to supply a flow of such fluid to the chest 37 to heat the platen 35.

Near the lower end of tube 31, there is provided a plate 41, larger than plate 39, that is freely slidable on said tube and is biased in a downward direction by springs 42. Around the plate 39, at the top, and the plate 41, at the bottom, and loosely encircling the tube 31 as well as the platen 35, is provided an air-pervious sleeve 43 that has an upward taper according to the diflerence in size of the plates 39 and 41, the taper being such as is ordinarily provided in a shirt sleeve. A puckering string 44 over the top of plate 39 and a string 45, under the bottom of plate 41, so connect said bag and plates that the same constitute a flexible expansible buck that balloons out when pressing fluid is introduced into the interior of said bag through holes 33 in the tube 31. The plate 41 slides up and down the tube 31 accordingly as the sleeve shortens when ballooned, and lengthens when the pressing fluid flow ceases.

The arm 12 is shown as a tube 46 that is mounted at its lower end on a pivot 47 and has a forwardly directed upper end 48 extending transversely across the top 26 of the base frame 10. Said tube 46, adjacent the pivot 47, is provided with a lever 49 that is fixed to the tube.

In FIG. 1, said lever is formed with a single arm to which a pair of springs 50 is attached to pull said arm 12 rearwardly. The action of said springs is snubbed by a dash pot 51. The arm 12, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, is intended to be moved forward manually, to bring the means 13 to placket-clamping position, a bumper 52 engaging the frame top 26 to limit such forward position of the arm 12. Said lever arm 49 is shown with a bracket 53 that opens the valve 18 when the arm 12 is moved forwardly.

In FIG. 6 the lever 49 comprises an arm 53a that opens valve 18 when the arm 12 is moved forwardly, and an arm 54 that isconnected to the drive cylinder 17. It will be realized that said arm 54 and drive cylinder 17 serve the same purpose as the arm of the operator, both serving to move the arm 12 to operative pressing position. The spring 50a inthe cylinder 17 has the same function as the springs 50, above described.

The placket-clamping means 13 is best shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5. The same comprises a cylindrical bar 55 that is connected to the end of arm portion 48 by a clamp bracket 56, a longitudinal passage 57 being provided in said bar. Said passage is in connection, at 58, to the upper end of the conduit 19 which extends longitudinally through the arm tube 46 and its bent portion 48.

A placket-clamping concave plate 59 at each end of the means 13 is enclosed in a fabric cover 60 that is located to have pressing contact with a sleeve placket P on each buck 11. A cylinder 61 extends from each plate 59 into a piston-cylinder engagement with each end of the bar 55, an O-ring 62 being provided to seal therebetween. It will be clear that compressed air from conduit 19, and entering the passage 57, will force said covered plates 59 to be urged oppositely into placket-engaging contactof sleeves S dressed on both bucks 11.

Anti-rotation means for said plates 59 is provided by sleeves 63 connected through bracket 56 to the bar 55 and stems 64 extending from the plates 59 into said guide sleeves 63. Compressed air spreads the clamp plates 59,

while springs 65 (FIGS. 1 and 3) connect the oppositely closed when the arm 12 is retracted and the valve 18 is unactuated. Thus, when valve 15 is opened the drive cylinder 17 will be extended to move the arm 12 to the position of FIGS. 3 and 6, which is the position that aligns the means 13 on said arm with the plackets P of sleeves dressed on the bucks 11. The springs 65 will hold the plates 59 retracted until, at the final part of the movement of arm 12, the lever arm 53a will open said normally-closed port of the valve 18 opening the airflow in line 66, through the valve 18 to the conduit 19. .Thus, the plates 59 are spread apart into placket-clamping position against the bias of the springs 65.

The control means 16 for the valve 15 may comprise a foot pedal 67 that, when stepped on, sends a momentary current to a holding relay 68 which locks in to connect a timer clock 69 with a normally-closed switch therein and the solenoid 70 in an electric line 71 which includes a normally-closed manual switch 72 in the circuit. The current to the timer'69 starts the same while the valve.

15 is held open. At theend of its set time, the timer, clock 69 opens the line 71, causing the valve 15 to close flow to line 66. Manual operation of switch172 does the same thing. Since valve 18 is of the venting type, stopping of flow in line 66 causes the same to vent, reducing the air pressure in said line. Thus, conduit 19 will exhaust to allow the placket-clamping plates 59 to retract and the spring 50a in the cylinder 17 to contract the latter and swing the arm 12 to retracted position, as in FIG. 1.

The pressure or air in line 66 enters a line 73, when the valve 18 is opened as above, from the conduit 19: Thus, when the placket-clamping means 13 is an operative position, the air in line 73 by acting on the means 2]. to. cause the normally-closed valve 20 to open, as shown in FIG. 6, provides a flow of heated air or steam through the outlet 74 of valve 20 to the tube 31 and one of the lines 40 to the chest 37. The other of said lines 40 con stitutes a return line to the source of heated air.

The valve 20 is normally closed, the spring 74 holding the valve disc 75 seated. The means 21 is in the form of. an air cylinder that, under air from line 73, causes -re-.

traction of said disc from its seat to open the valve.:

The bags 43 are self-venting since the pressing fluid passes outwardly through their interstices and those of 1 the sleeves being pressed.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carryingout the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construc-.

(a) two similar transversely spaced and parallel per.-

forated inflexible tubes connected to a source of heated air,

(b) a vertical pressing platen adjacent and aflixed to the upper end of each said tube, the platens disposed laterally inward from said tubes and facing each:

other across the space between the tubes,

(c) means to heat said platens,

(d) a loose inflatable. and air-pervious bag loosely enclosing each said tube and the platen thereon, ex-

tending downwardly from the upper end of the.

platen, and receptive of heated air from the tubeto inflate the same and a placket-provided sleeve dressed on each bag to dry and press said sleeves,

(e) means to impart downward tension on the lower ends of the bags, and V (f) means between the two mentioned platens to press oppositely against the plackets on the ends of the sleeves dressed on the bags to press said plackets against the platens. 2. A vertical sleever according to claim 1 in which each perforated tube at its lower end, is provided with a slidable plate and means to resiliently bias the same downwardly, and the lower ends of the bags are connected to said plates and are tensioned downwardly by the biasing means.

3. A vertical sleever comprising:

(a) two similar transversely spaced and parallel perforated inflexible tubes connected to a source of heated air,

(b) a vertical pressing platen adjacent and affixed to the upper end of each said tube, the platens disposed laterally from said tubes and facing each other across the space between the tubes,

(c) means to heat said platens,

(d) a loose inflatable and air-pervious bag loosely enclosing each said tube and the platen thereon, extending downwardly from the upper end of the platen, and receptive of heated air from the tube to inflate the same and a placket-provided sleeve dressed on each bag to dry and press said sleeves,

(e) means to impart downward tension on the lower ends of the bags,

(f) an arm mounted on a pivot rearward of the perforated tubes,

(g) clamping means carried on the end of said arm and movable with the arm on its pivot from a retracted position rearward of the tubes to a forward position between the platens on said tubes, and

(b) means to operate said clamping means to extend the same in both directions toward the platens to press against the plackets on the ends of the sleeves dressed on the bags to press said plackets against the platens.

4. A vertical sleever according to claim 3 provided with air-operated means to move said arm and the clamping means to the mentioned forward position.

5. A vertical sleever according to claim 4 in which:

(a) the means to extend the clamping means comprises a source of compressed air,

(b) a valve controlling flow of said air to the clamping means,

(c) and means moved by the arm during its movement to the forward position to open said valve and open air-flow to the clamping means.

6. A vertical sleever comprising:

(a) two similar transversely spaced and parallel perforated inflexible tubes connected to a source of heated air,

(b) a vertical pressing platen adjacent and affixed to the upper end of each said tube, the platens disposed laterally inward from said tubes and facing each other across the space between the tubes,

(0) means to heat said platens,

(d) a loose inflatable and air-pervious bag loosely enclosing each said tube and the platen thereon, extending downwardly from the upper end of the platen, and receptive of heated air from the tube to inflate the same and a placket-provided sleeve dressed on each bag to dry and press said sleeves,

(e) means to impart downward tension on the lower ends of the bags,

(f) an arm mounted on a pivot rearward of the perforated tubes,

(g) clamping means carried on the end of said arm and movable with the arm on its pivot from a retracted position rearward of the tubes to a forward position between the platens on said tubes,

(h) said clamping means comprising two opposite and oppositely outwardly movable clamp plates that are aligned with and between the mentioned platens,

(i) spring means normally holding said clamping plates retracted away from engagement with the platens,

(j) a source of compressed air,

(k) means operated by said air and connected to the mentioned arm to move the same and the clamping means thereon to a forward position between the platens, and

(l) a valve in the air line beyond where the same is connected to the arm-projecting means and opened by the arm during such movement toward clamping position to oppositely outwardly move the clamp plates to press the plackets of the sleeves dressed on the bags against the platens.

7. A vertical sleever according to claim 6 in which is provided (a) a source of heated pressing fluid,

(b) a self-closing valve controlling said source,

(c) means to open said latter valve controlled by compressed air released by the first-mentioned valve, and

(d) means to conduct said pressing fluid from the latter valve, when open, to the perforated tubes and to the platens thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,516,054 7/1950 Forse et al. 223--73 2,595,514 5/1952 Davis et a1. 22357 2,685,990 8/ 1954 Glover 223-73 2,759,644 8/ 1956 Forse et al 223-73 2,760,698 8/1956 Maxwell et al. 22373 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VERTICAL SLEEVER COMPRISING: (A) TWO SIMILAR TRANSVERSELY SPACED AND PARALLEL PERFORATED INFLEXIBEL TUBES CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF HEATED AIR, (B) A VERTICAL PRESSING PLATEN ADJACENT AND AFFIXED TO THE UPPER END OF EACH SAID TUBE, THE PLATENS DISPOSED LATERALLY INWARD FROM SAID TUBES AND FACING EACH OTHER ACROSS THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBES, (C) MEANS TO HEAT SAID PLATENS, (D) A LOOSE INFLATABLE AND AIR-PERVIOUS BAG LOOSELY ENCLOSING EACH SAID TUBE AND THE PLATEN THEREON, EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE UPPER END OF THE PLATEN, AND RECEPTIVE OF HEATED AIR FROM THE TUBE TO INFLATE THE SAME AND A PLACKET-PROVIDED SLEEVE DRESSED ON EACH BAG TO DRY AND PRESS SAID SLEEVES, (E) MEANS TO IMPART DOWNWARD TENSION ON THE LOWER ENDS OF THE BAGS, AND 